Article release mechanism for vending machines



Jan. 22, 1952 F. N. JAMES ARTICLE RELEASE MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed April 21, 1949 Fraz/r M James INVENTOR ATTORNEY .IIIIIE Jan. 22, 1952 F. N. JAMES 2,583,217

ARTICLE RELEASE MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed April 21, 1949 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 Frazier /V. James IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y Patented Jan. 22, 1952 ARTICLE RELEASE MECHANISM roe VENDING MACHINES Frazier N. James, Dallas, Tex., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one third to Rich- .ard A. Gump, one-sixth to C. M. McMullin and one-sixthto Collins Kilgore, all of Dallas, Tex, and one-third to Lone Star Vendor Corp Dallas, Tern, a corporation of Delaware Application April 21, 1949, Serial No. 88,722

1 Claim.

. invention relates to vending machines and more particularly to new and useful improvements in article release mechanisms for vending machines.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an article" release mechanism which is adap ed to be disposed at the bottom of the vertical dispensingma g'azine of a vending machine in which articles are moved by ravity towards the point of delivery and is adapted through positive action to release but a single article at a time from the dispensing magazine. on the other hand, in cases where the vending machine mechanism is so constituted that articles in'a vertical dispensing magazine are moved upwardly against the force of gravity, the release mechanism is disposed at the top of the dispensing magazine and functions in an identical manner to insure against the release of but one article at a time from the column.

' Another object of the invention is to provide an article release mechanism for vending machines which consists of parallel rotary members, each having a set of four longitudinal blades, the blades of one member being brought successively into juxtaposition with the blades of the companion member as the members are rotated in unison by positive engagement of the teeth of a pair of gears mounted one on the shaft of each rotary member. .In this manner, as successive blades of the rotary members move into juxtaposition, the article in the dispensing column next in position for release is engaged by the blades and is separated from the remaining articles in the column, and moved thereby to a point of delivery while atthe same obstructing passage of the said remainingarticles of the column. The action is the same whether the articles are released from the bottom of a column by gravity or from the top of a column under spring pressure or other agency.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an article release mechanism which is especially effective for controlling the release of bottles from a bottle vending machine and in which is provided electrical means operative to insure simultaneous starting and stopping oi the rotary members to maintain synchronal action of the blades thereof.

With the foregoing objects in view, the invention has further reference to certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as Figure 2 is an elevational view oi the driving end of the mechanism.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the device.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the driving end of the device which is modified slightlyin the sense that the drive is opposite to the showing in Figure 2 to adapt the release mechanism to vending machines in which delivery is made from the top of the column, and

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of the latter form of the invention showing the manner in which articles are moved upwardly in a vertical column and released by the invention singly at the top of the column.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference is primarily made to Figures l to 4 inclusive wherein numeral l0 denotes generally a frame having abase I l and end members l2. Rotatably mounted between the end members I 2 is a pair of cooperating rotary members, each of which consists of a shaft l3 whose ends are journaled in bearing blocks l4 after passing through slots I5 in the end members :2 for relative adjustment of the rotary members, Each shaft [3 has a group of .four longitudinal blades IB spaced radially about the same in the manner shown.

In order that the article release mechanism will function positively to separate a single article of merchandise from a column of articles, it is necessary that the rotary members be joined for simultaneous and synchronous rotation so that the effective blades thereof will move in unison to engage and move an article, such as a bottle A apart from the remaining articles in a column, whether the articles are to be released at the bottom of the column as exemplified in Figures 1 to 4 or from the top thereof, as in Figures 5 and 6. In either case, a pair of gears I? are provided, one on each shaft l3 and whose teeth are engaged so that rotation of one gear will cause rotation of the rotary members in counter directions.

In Figure 2, the driving means for the rotary members consists of a gear I8 so disposed in relation to one of the pair of gears I! that the rotary members will be actuated to separate a bottle A next in line for releasefrom the bottom of a column of bottles above the release mechanism. A small electric motor I9 is provided for driving the gear l8 and is energized through the medium of the wires 20 which are connected to a source of current through a conventional coin operated switch, not shown.

One of the gears I7 is provided with a series of radially spaced pins 2| which are brought into successive engagement with a switch arm 22 and it is through this means that the rotary release members are started and stopped and by which their degree of displacement is predetermined. For example, Figure 3 shows the relative position of the blades l6 of the rotary members in a position preparatory to releasing the lowest bottle in the dispensing column. To complete the releasing operation, the motor I9 is energized by the coin switch, not shown, and the gears I8 and I9 are actuated to move the rotary members in counter directions until the next successive blades are brought into a common horizontal plane, in which position of the blades, the article supported thereby will have been moved to a position below the blades while the succeeding blades will move into position to support the column. point, a pin 2| will engage the switch 22 to break the circuit to motor l9 and stop rotation of the article release members. If the rotary release members were not geared together for common rotation the foregoing performance would not be possible.

In Figures 1 to 4, a bottle cushioning means is shown which consists of a pair of parallel guide walls 23 between which is a plate 24, the latter being hinged at one end at 25 (Fig. 4). The opposite end of the plate is reduced in width and extends through a bottle release opening 26 in one end ll of the frame l0 and through which bottles are delivered butt end first after dropping onto the plate 24. A torsion spring 21 holds the plate normally in raised position.

In Figure 6 is illustrated a fo'rm of means for supporting articles of merchandise for delivery from the top of a column, to be singly released by the mechanism of the invention. The only change necessary in the release mechanism is to shift the driving gear I 8 and motor 19 to the gear I! opposite the showing in Figure 2 so that the rotary release members will revolve in directions opposite the showing in Figures 1 and 3.

The delivery mechanism in Figure 6 consists of vertical receptacle 28 constituting the dispensing magazine. A vertically movable article support 29 is disposed in the magazine 28 and is provided with laterally extending arms 30 which extend through slots 3! in the walls of the magazine 28. The arms 30 have apertures therein to receive guide posts 32 exterior of and parallel with the walls of the magazine. Coil springs 33 embrace the guide posts 32 and, in urging the arms 30 upwardly, tend to exert a force on the support 28 efiective to move the column of articles in the magazine upwardly.

The article release mechanism of the invention is disposed at the top of the magazine 28 and by virtue of its positive action will hold the column against pressure of the springs 33 and will permit release of but one bottle at a time from the upper end of the column.

At this Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claim is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In an article release mechanism for a vending machine having a delivery magazine, the combination comprising a frame at the lower end of said-delivery magazine, an end member in each end of said frame, one of said end members having an opening therein, parallel rotatable members in juxtaposition having shafts journaled in the end members of said frame, each 01' said rotatable members having radial blades, the blades of one of said members cooperating with the blades of the other and operating to define successive receptacles for singly receiving articles from the column of articles in said delivery magazine and for transferring them singly to a point of discharge, said blades being also effective to restrict the remaining articles of said column during release of articles singly therefrom, cooperating gears carried by said rotary members for rotating the latter in counter directions, an electrical circuit, electrical means in said circuit for driving said gears, a switch mounted on the other of said end members for opening and closing said circuit, annularly spaced pins on the face of one of said gears adapted to be brought into engagement with said switch at predetermined intervals for energizing said electrical means, a

pair of parallel and relatively spaced guide walls.

between which articles are deposited by said rotatable members, an article cushioning plate hinged at one end of said other of said end members between said parallel guide walls and having its other and free end reduced in width and extended through the opening in said first men tioned end member and constituting a chute for articles released by said rotatable members and spring means for normally holding the free end of said plate in elevated position.

FRAZIER N. JAMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

